Fruit-packing press.



W. E. GARVER.

FRUIT PACKING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25. 1911.

INVENTOR ATTOH NEY Patented Mar119, 1918.

WALTER EDWARD GARVEE, OF KOKOMO, INDIANA.

FRUIT-PACKING PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Application filed May 25, 1917. Serial 11' 0. 170,959.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, WALTER E. GARvnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kokomo, in the county of Howard and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F ruit- Packing Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fruit packing presses, and more particularly to a press specially adapted for packing apples and similar fruit in barrels or like containers.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a press of simple construction and operation which is specially adapted for forcing the head of a barrel into proper position so as to firmly hold the fruit placed in the barrel, and hold the barrel head while it is secured in the top or end of the barrel. A further object is to provide a press which includes a base or platform and pressing means carried by this base, the base serving also as a means for supporting the barrel being packed. A still further object is to provide a press which is well adapted for use in orchards or packing sheds for packing the fruit in the barrels as it is picked. Further objects will appear from the detail description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a press constructed in accordance with my invention as used,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same the barrel being omitted, I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail section taken substantially online 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4. is a similar view taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 2.

The base 1 is of substantially rectangular shape, the upper surface being plane to provide a supporting platform for a barrel 2 in which the fruit is to be packed. A standard 3 is secured adjacent each side of the base, a short distance from the longitudinal center thereof, and is held rigidly in position by the inclined brace 4 the upper end of which is secured to the standard and the lower end to the base 1, these braces being confined between a cross piece 5 secured to the platform and a brace bar 6 secured to the standards standards by set screws 8 adjacent the upper ends of the braces 4. Each of the standards 3 is provided through its upper portion with a plurality of spaced openings 3. These openings are adapted to rockably receive a transverse shaft 7 which 1s secured against axial movement in the standards by collars 8 secured on the shaft adjacent each end thereof outside of the A beam 9 is secured on shaft 7 by screw 9 adjacent one of the standards 3 so as to be rockable between the standards in a vertical plane. The inner end of this beam is pivotally secured in the upper bifurcated end of a cylindrical supporting arm 10 the lower end of which is secured in a flanged plate 11. Plate 11 is firmly secured to a pressing head-12 which is of somewhat less diameter than the inner diameter of the upper or head end of the barrel 2. The outer end of lever 9 is pivotallysecured in the upper bifurcated end of a link 13 the lower end of which is similarly secured to the outer end of an arm 14. Arm 1% is rigidly secured at its inner end on a transverse shaft 15 which is rockably mounted in bearing blocks 16 secured on the standards 3 adjacent the lower ends thereof. A collar 17 is secured on this shaft adjacent each bearing block and serves to prevent axial movement of the shaft. It will be obvious that, when shaft 15 is rocked the arm 14: will be similarly rocked so as to cause movement of the inner end of beam 9 either toward or away from the platform 1 depending on the direction in which the shaft is moved.

A footlever 18 is secured on shaft 15 remote from arm 14. This lever extends inward of the platform from the shaft closely adjacent an upright 19 which is rigidly secured to the platform or base 1 and is pro vided on its inner face with a plurality of downwardly directed rack teeth 19. These teeth are so disposed as to engage over the lever 18 thus locking it against upward movement. For this purpose it is essential that the lever have a certain amount of lateral movement. To permit this movement of the lever, it is provided at its inner end with an elliptical opening 20 which receives the shaft 15, the length of the minor axis of of the shaft. A

pivot bolt 20 is passed 7 through the lever and the shaft and serves to so secure the lever to the shaft as to insure that when the lever is moved in either direction in a vertical plane the shaft will be rocked about its axis. The opening 20 being of greater length than the diameter of the shaft permits limited lateral movement of the lever in either direction. A tension coil spring 21 is secured at its outer end to the base 1 and at its inner end to the lever 18. This spring acts to normally hold the lever in engagement with the rack of standaid 19. V

In using my press, after the fruit has been packed in the barrel in the usual manner, the head 2 is placed in the barrel, the barrel being placed on base 1 in proper position. For this purpose, I provide a plurality of pins 1 in the base, these pins being so relatively disposed as to engage the lower end of abarrel. at the periphery thereof so as to insure that the'barrel is properly centered relative to pressing head 12. When the barrel is in proper position, the foot lever 18 is forced downward thus raising the outer end ofbeam 9 and forcing the pressin head 12 downward into engagement with t e barrel head 2 By this means, the barrel head may I be forced down tightly into the barrel and held in this position by the engagement of the foot lever with the rack of upright 19. The top securing hoop is then placed on the barrel and the head secured in position in the usual manner. lVhen this has been done,

' the foot lever may be moved inward slightly to disengage it from the holding rack. Whenthe foot lever is thus released the arm 14 is rocked downward by means of the tension H coilspring 22 secured thereto and to the base 1. This returns the foot lever to its raised or normal position and raises the pressing head 12 thus placing the press in condition to receive the next barrel to be packed.

By removing one of the collars 8 from shaft 7 this shaft may be removed from the standards 3 and. inserted into any desired pair of the alined openings 3 thus permitting quick and easy vertical adjustment ofthe beam 9 to accommodate barrels and similar containers of different heights. As the pressing head 12 is'pivotally secured to the beam 9 it will automatically adjust itself in accordance with the vertical adjustment of the beam so as to at all times bring the under face of the pressing head into a horizontal plane so as to properly engage the upper face of the head 2 of the barrel or like con-' tainer;

What I claim is:

1. In barrel presses, a base adapted to support a barrel or similar container, a beam rockably supported by said base above the ing the beam so as to force the pressing head downward toward said base.

3. In barrel presses, a base adapted to support a barrel or similar container, standards carriedby the base, a beam rockably supported between said standards, a pressing head carried by the beam and pivotally secured to one end thereof, a foot lever rockably mounted between said standards, and.

connections between said foot lever and the other end of the beam for rocking thebeam so as to force thepressing head downward 7 toward the base when the foot lever is depressed. I I

a. In barrel presses, a base adapted to support a barrel or-similar container, standards carried by the base, a beam rockably supported between said standards, a pressing head carried by the beam and pivotally secured to one end thereof, a foot lever rocks ably mounted'between said standards, connections between said foot lever and the other end of the beam for rocking the beam so as to force the pressing head downward toward the base when the foot lever is depressed, and means for locking the foot lever.

in depressed position.

5. In barrel presses, a base adapted to sup'- port a barrel or similar container, a pair of standards carried by the base in spaced relation, a beam rockably mounted'between the standards and adjustable vertically therebetween, a pressing head suspended from one end of the beam and pivotally secured thereto, a shaft rockably mounted on said standards below the beam, a foot lever mounted on said shaft at one end and connected thereto so as torock-the shaft when the foot lever. is depressed and to be movable laterally independently of the shaft, a rack secured to the said base closely adjacent the foot lever and adapted to engage therewith so as to hold the foot lever in depressed position, and connections between said shaft and the other end ofsaid beam for forcing the end of the beam carrying the pressing head downward toward said base when the foot lever is depressed. l

6. In barrel presses, a base adapted to support abarrel or similar container, standards carried'by the base, a beam horizontally mounted between the standardsand verti'- cally adjustable therebetween, a pressing head suspended from the inner end of said beam and pivotally secured thereto, a shaft rockably supported by the standards below the beam, a foot lever secured to said shaft so as to have limited lateral movement independently thereof but be secured against rotary movement relative to the shaft, means for releasably securing the foot lever in depressed position, an arm secured to the shaft 10 and progecting outwardly therefrom, and a link pivotally secured at its lower end to the outer end of said arm and at its upper end to the other end of said beam.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER EDWARD GARVER.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM W. SEFTON, CLAUDE S. CROWLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

